When we hear of a person praying from the heart, we usually are meaning that they are praying without the use of written words. The words they are praying are ‘found within.’ I get the impression that we usually feel this type of praying has more value than praying written prayers. I confess that I am comfortable praying without written words, but then as a priest I am use to finding words. But trust me when I say that both written prayers and unwritten prayers can come from inattentive hearts. It distresses me when I hear a person say, after hearing me pray extemporaneously (without a book) that they wish they could pray like that.
The heart of true praying, which all people can do, is that we take time to make sure that the words we are lifting up to the LORD are sincere, and we are being attentive to those words.
Given that preamble, I am one growing in a deeper appreciation for the ancient prayers of the Church, because I can trust them for being theologically correct, that they have been prayed by the Church for centuries, and that my efforts can be directed to simply praying the words with sincerity – thus praying with the heart.
I am sure many of us have favourite prayers from our prayer books, or other sources, some of which we have written in the back of our prayer books. Here is one of mine:
Almighty God, who has shown us in the life and teaching of Thy Son, that the path of love may lead to the cross, and the reward of faithfulness may be a crown of thorns: Grant us grace to take up our cross and follow Christ in the strength of patience and constancy of faith, and to have such fellowship with Him in His sorrow that we may know the secret of His strength and peace; through the same Jesus Christ our LORD. AMEN (By C.J.Vaughan)
Perhaps you might like to share some of your favourite prayers.
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